It had been a colourful hippie bus, proclaiming love and peace.
Vibrant, buzzing with hope and life.
Wheels turning for untold miles, on roads and in minds.
Traveling all over the country spreading the word.
Encouraging the travelers to go further, look beyond.
Envision a world where everyone belongs.~ Where did the trip go wrong? ~
When did we lose it’s soulful songs?
© RedCat
Forget that a new era never dawned.
Today its message a lost echo, barely heard.
Such sentiments much harder to find.
The world full of nature’s destruction, division and strife.
A faded, bleached out memory overgrown with weeds.
Written for this week’s Friday Fictioneers.
This is my third Puente poem, the others are, Another Piece of the Puzzle and Sounds in the wind which is a story inspired by art.
Click here to read more Friday Fictioneers or participate.
Click here to read other stories by me.
The world according to RedCat 
Well said! It was an era of hope for change, wasn’t it?
Things going wrong might be part of the human condition. But I don’t know if young adults ever had more hope they could change things than that era. My generation born in the seventies definitely didn’t.
It does always seem to go wrong doesn’t it. Great rhythm in this one, well done.
Thank you! I use to read all pieces out loud to hear how they sound.
Our species seems to be experts at getting it wrong. Wonder if we’ll ever grow out of it.
I’m missing that skill. My read aloud is terrible. So, I just write and enjoy it and hope it sounds okay.
Yup, we always get it wrong until something bad happens. Then try to fix it and get it wrong all over again lol
Today’s youngsters will never know what they missed. I for one will never forget. Nice one
Here’s mine!
Thank you!
Neither do I. Just what I read, got told and imagined from inside the paler echo during the late 90’s. But I’ll never forget either.
We all have to grow up eventually.
We do. But I for one never wholly gave up hope that humanity could change for the better.
Powerful metaphor, Helene.
At heart, I’m still a hippie. I take comfort from today’s young people who are fired up to protect the environment. I liked your use of certain words as subliminal cues to the whole drug experience of the sixties, “trip”, “weed” etc
Could it be it was all so simple then? Yes, I do believe it was. Lovely!
Yes, those wonderful songs of protest, joy, cries for civil, human, and women’s rights! Where did we go wrong — perhaps the answer is in the music?
I liked the cadence of the piece.
Yes.That’s exactly how it feels looking back. Beautiful poem. Let’s hope the young ones of today have better luck looking back.
Where indeed did it all go wrong? I like this piece, have you read the electric kool aid acid test? Ken Kesey and the merry pranksters encouraging us to go further…
So sad the hope was lost. A beautiful piece.
I remember those vans, all over the place–along with VW’x all tricked out with “love and peace.”
Sigh.
Great story, love the lovebug, too.
Mournful and thoughtful piece!
Awsome!
Thank you! ❤️